Along the James
A couple of Sundays ago, P and I did a little antiquing out Tappahannock way. Nadji Nook is as random -- and mostly over-priced -- as ever. I had forgotten about the used book and comix store on Prince Street, next to WRAR; we got a few things there. At the antiques mall (in the old Rose's I believe), he bought an excellent framed photo of the James and the Lee Bridge, from the southside, marked 1962. A trip south of the river yesterday solidified our opinion that it was taken from the roof of that c. 1962 apartment building, James River Tower, I think it is called.
We walked across the rocks to Belle Isle, zigged up the hill by the quarry, and recrossed the river on the old train bridge (also in his photo). Though it was midday, we spotted some good birds, including goldfinches and cormorants. Crossing the bridge, however, we had our best nature moment: in the clear, shallow pools on that rocky side, we watched some fish, including the unmistakably odd longnose gar fish.
2 comments:
I am so jealous--
I miss the James River so much! All we have is a glorifed creek called the Eno...it's nice, but it doesn't compare to the falls of the James, Belle isle and the likes. Spooky Note: my brother had a number of unusual encounters around the old prison site on Belle isle (when trespassing at night as a teenager).
Had a happy birdy moment, too:
I saw a kingfisher this weekend at a newly discovered pond in the neighborhood.
We saw a kingfisher at the pond at Phil's apartments this summer. On the one hand, I don't think of it as a suburban bird; on the other, I bet that pond was part of a farm before there were apartments -- it's not a typical, officially-legistlated drainage pond.
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